Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) fighters, along with their allied forces, have reportedly seized several Syrian military weapons depots and armored vehicles during an assault in northern Aleppo province. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a UK-based monitoring group, stated that dozens of Syrian soldiers and rebel fighters have died in clashes, with HTS and its allies capturing at least 10 areas previously controlled by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces.
On Wednesday, HTS launched an operation that resulted in the deaths of 132 fighters and soldiers, according to SOHR. The casualties included 65 HTS fighters, 18 members of allied rebel groups, and 49 Syrian soldiers. In addition to taking over military depots and armored vehicles, the HTS and its allies also seized heavy weapons during the assault.
The Syrian military, in a statement carried by state news agency SANA, reported the ongoing attack but did not mention any casualties. The military described the assault as a “huge and large-scale terrorist attack” involving a significant number of militants and heavy weaponry targeting villages, towns, and military sites. The attack is said to still be in progress, according to the Syrian army.
SOHR also reported that civilians, including children, have been killed or injured in the crossfire, with Syrian forces launching “hundreds of shells and missiles” on both civilian and military targets during the fighting.
HTS fighters and their allies have advanced nearly 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the outskirts of Aleppo city, coming close to the towns of Nubl and Zahra, which have strong Hezbollah presence. The HTS also launched an attack on al-Nayrab airport, east of Aleppo, where pro-Iranian forces have outposts.
The offensive follows a recent escalation in airstrikes by Russian and Syrian forces on civilian areas in southern Idlib and aims to preempt potential Syrian military action, as Syrian troops were reportedly building up along the frontlines with HTS. Witnesses have reported that hundreds of families in Aleppo, which remains a stronghold for anti-Assad forces, have fled to areas along the Turkish border for safety.
HTS, a group designated as a “terrorist organization” by the United States, has long been a target of Syrian government and Russian forces. However, in recent years, HTS has distanced itself from its previous ties to al-Qaeda, rebranding itself as a more localized group with aims specific to Syria. It has become the most dominant rebel force in northwestern Syria.
Since Russia’s involvement in the Syrian war in 2015, the Kremlin has backed Assad’s regime, bolstering his control amid ongoing challenges from rebel factions.
